Hundreds killed after powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake, the strongest in 123 years hit Morocco
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Powerful earthquake kills ‘at least’ 296 in Morocco, with mass destruction of homes and property, govt says
The death toll after the Morocco powerful earthquake has risen to 632 deaths and 329 injuries, Morocco’s state tv Al Aoula said citing the ministry of interior
A powerful earthquake struck Morocco’s High Atlas mountains on Friday night, killing at least 632 people, destroying buildings, and sending residents of major cities rushing from their homes.
The Interior Ministry said the number constituted a preliminary death toll and that 329 people had been injured.
A local official said most deaths were in mountain areas that were hard to reach.
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71 km southwest of Marrakesh, at a depth of 18.5 km.
The quake struck at 11.11 p.m. and videos on social media showed people fleeing on the roads, damaged buildings, and rubble-strewn streets.
The tremors were also reportedly felt in the capital Rabat, some 350 km away from the epicentre, as well as the cities of Casablanca and Essaouira.
Residents of Marrakech, the nearest big city to the epicentre, said some buildings had collapsed in the old city, a Unesco World Heritage site, and local television showed pictures of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying on smashed cars.
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The pan-Arab al-Arabiya news channel reported that five people were killed from one family, citing unnamed local sources.
Montasir Itri, a resident of the mountain village of Asni near the epicentre, said most houses there were damaged.
“Our neighbours are under the rubble and people are working hard to rescue them using available means in the village,” he said.
Further west, near Taroudant, teacher Hamid Afkar said he had fled his home and there had been aftershocks following the initial quake.
“The earth shook for about 20 seconds. Doors opened and shut by themselves as I rushed downstairs from the second floor,” he said.
Morocco’s geophysical centre said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2.
The US Geological Survey put the quake’s magnitude at 6.8 and said it was at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5km.
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